By Rebekah Rademacher
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My eyes are shut
The air is quiet
My thoughts slow.
I'm leaning against my bookbag
And I imagine you.
What if I was leaning on you?
Your smile is kind
Welcoming
Inviting.
I lay my head on your shoulder.
You want me to talk
Tell you about today, the past week
I feel like we've grown apart
I don't talk to you as much as I want to
But right now, you're here.
When I write to you, I hide behind my words.
Hesitant to show emotion
If I do, it's not genuine.
But imagining you here,
There's no words to hide behind.
No barrier between us
You can see
Shame
Guilt
Bitterness
Eating away at my mind.
You can see
Fatigue
Stress
Anxiety
Pulling me under.
You can see
Excitement
Joy
Energy
Peeking through.
You sit here with me.
Inviting me to talk
And you'll listen.
About the Author
Rebekah graduated from ICC in spring of 2023. Her poetry has been published in the previous issues of Illinois Central Review. She works part-time as a barista and loves coffee. When she's not writing, she may be found reading, hiking, and crocheting, and probably spoiling her two guinea pigs.